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UConn Baseball won a wild one in Provo on Friday, taking an 8-7 win against BYU.
Catcher Zac Susi was the offensive MVP of the night, hitting 3-for-5 with five RBI. Second baseman Conor Moriarty and left fielder Chris Winkel each added an RBI and shortstop Anthony Prato (2-for-5), designated hitter John Toppa (2-for-4) and third baseman Willy Yahn (3-for-5) all had multiple hits.
Wills Montgomerie had his shakiest start of the year, allowing four runs, all earned, but gave the Huskies 6 2⁄3 innings and put them in a position to win.
BYU kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first on a two-out single from Keaton Kringlen, but the Huskies did not let them have the lead for long, grabbing a 3-2 lead after three innings.
Center fielder Keith Krueger was the catalyst for a two-run fifth to make it 5-2. He led off with a walk and after a Prato double, Susi came to the plate with runners on second and third. He brought home the pair with a single.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars brought it closer with a run before the Huskies scored one of their own.
Yahn scored on Susi’s second hit of the game as the sophomore drove in his fourth run.
BYU made it interesting after the seventh-inning stretch with a pair of runs in the bottom half and took the lead in the eighth with two more. The bases were loaded with one out. Casey Jacobsen delivered the tying and go-ahead run with a single over Prato’s head before Russell settled down to get UConn out of the inning.
The Huskies responded in kind in the ninth.
Yahn led it off with a double into the left-center gap and Susi brought him in for the co-captain’s third run of the game. Aaron Hill, the other co-captain, pinch-ran for Susi and moved to third after a sacrifice bunt and ground out. He scored what proved to be the game-winner on a passed ball.
Russell cleaned it up for the ninth, striking out the side for the victory, though he did walk two with two down to put runners on first and second.
UConn (9-7) and BYU have the rubber game of their series at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Mason Feole is the probable starter for the Huskies.